European Leaders Offer Military Help to Secure Strait of Hormuz

Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, in March.Photographer: Altaf Qadri/AP Photo

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By Arne Delfs, Donato Paolo Mancini, and Samy Adghirni

April 17, 2026 at 4:28 PM UTC

A European-led coalition offered military help to secure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz hours after Iran said it would open the critical waterway, even as US President Donald Trump warned NATO members to keep a distance.

French President Emmanuel Macron hosted the leaders of the UK, Germany and Italy in Paris and reinforced demands for an “immediate and unconditional” opening of Hormuz and “full respect” for maritime law.